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"A leading privacy activist says Google's lack of support for strong encryption makes second-class citizens out of people who can't afford Apple devices."

"When a rogue researcher last week released 70,000 OkCupid profiles, complete with usernames and sexual preferences, people were pissed. When Facebook researchers manipulated stories appearing in Newsfeeds for a mood contagion study in 2014, people were really pissed. OkCupid filed a copyright claim to take down the dataset; the journal that published Facebook's study issued an "expression of concern." Outrage has a way of shaping ethical boundaries. We learn from mistakes."

"Tripling as a feat of engineering, a social commentary on homelessness, and an interactive puppet show, [Ables] causes us to pause on the issue of homelessness and human-robot interaction. For a more whimsical interaction, a robot ball that follows you around is a pleasant way to get used to the presence of robots in society."

Privacy is a hot-button issue in the tech world. How will it fare in the age of pervasive computing - a world of billions of connected devices, systems, and services exchanging personal data?

"Julia Powles and Jat Singh from St Johns College Cambridge discuss why the internet of things poses huge risks to online privacy. Julia and Jat discuss their recent article on the issue and why the law needs to catch up with these technological developments."

"Through the design, development and implementation of the Living Room of the Future (LRoTF), we build upon existing work to progress two strands of research. The first explores how media broadcasters may utilise Object-Based Media (OBM) to provide more immersive experiences. Created in conjunction with the BBC R&D the LRofTF utilizes OBM to dynamically customise television content according to audiences' personal, contextual and derived data. OBM works by breaking media into smaller parts or 'objects', describing how they relate to each other semantically, and then reassembling them into personalized programmes. In addition to this media-delivery aspect, the LRoTF explores data protection issues that arise from OBM's use of data by integrating with the privacy-enhancing Databox system. "

"Individuals should not have to rely on whisper networks for justice. The Tech Worker Handbook is a collection of resources for tech workers who are looking to make more informed decisions about whether to speak out on issues that are in the public interest. Aiming to improve working conditions, direct attention to consumer harms, or otherwise address wrongdoing and abuse should not be a solo or poorly resourced endeavor."